Tuesday, April 26, 2011

I have a confession to make

Sometimes, I am late to the party.

When I first learned beadweaving everyone in the industry was basically using Nymo or Silamide. Before long though, one of the beading teachers at the local store started talking about this new thing - Fireline. She was such an advocate that she talked the store into carrying it. I resisted. More beaders converted. I tried it once and hated it and kept resisting. The WHOLE WORLD converted to Fireline, and I finally decided I'd give it another chance. It took a few projects to get used to this new fangled thread imposter - it had all this body to it! I had to flatten the tip to thread my needle! It left black marks on my hands! But before you know it, I was one of the converts too, and I almost never use anything else now.

Which brings me to the topic of thread conditioners. Or rather, my lack of usage of them. Baby Beader Jill faithfully used Thread Heaven and beeswax on her Nymo thread. But over time....they kept disappearing into the great Bermuda Triangle of my beading stash.Because I got tired of buying it over and over again I simply stopped using thread conditioner althogether! No problems arose, so the habit stuck.

Enter Fireline into the thread condition equation. I felt like it made absolutely no sense whatsoever to use thread conditioner on Fireline. It wouldn't absorb into the thread like it did with old fashioned beading thread so it would leave a coating on the Fireline that would then block up the bead holes, and get sloppy, and who needed it? Fireline already didn't tangle quite like thread did, and it was easier to get out the knots when you did. So no thread conditioner recommendation from me! I was surprised when I heard that other national beading teachers DID recommend it. I just didn't get it.

So here's the confession part. (You thought I'd forgotten by now, didn't you?) This week, I finally tried using Micro-Crystalline Wax (the synthetic stuff that doesn't go bad on you and lasts forever - or until it falls into the Bead Bermuda Triangle) on my Fireline. And...um, well. I liked it. A lot.

Not only did it cut tangling to basically not at all, but it gave the Fireline a bit of resistance which will be really helpful for beaders with loose tension who need to tighten up. It also cut down on the black marks on my hand.

There you have it. You CAN teach a resistant old dog new tricks eventually. I am now going to recommend using the Micro-Crystalline Wax with Fireline. Yes, you may laugh at me now.

You can purchase it from my friends at The Hole Bead Shoppe. Just $3 for a 4oz. cup that will last you forever. For the local ladies, I am now stocking it at the house for when you come to bead.

1 comment:

Jill, I LOVE using Thread Heaven on my FIRELINE. It creates a static charge and almost bonds the working thread with the short end.I almost faithfully use K.O. thread - it's preconditioned/waxed - etc. It comes of the bobbin - kinky as YOU and then when you PET it...it lies flat - like well...nevermind. I LOBS my K.O. thread but I do see the need and use Fireline more now than I ever have....and I almost never USE Nymo any mo'.Thanks for the SHOUT out on the blog post - you are WAY too good to me...